Humidifier device



March 4, 1969 M. BERLINER 3,431,038

HUMIDIFIER DEVICE Filed Aug. 15, 1967 FIG. 1

INVENTOR.

MARTIN BERLINER JOHN P. CHANDLER HlS ATTORNEY.

United States Patent ()fi ice 3,431,038 Patented Mar. 4, 1969 3,431,038 HUMIDIFIER DEVI'CE Martin Berliner, 100 Water St., Brooklyn, N.Y. 11201 Filed Aug. 15, 1967, Ser. No. 660,629 US. Cl. 312-31 3 Claims Int. Cl. A24f 25/02 ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Unitary humidifier to be placed in humidors, food containers, and the like, having a water reservoir in communication with a chamber of tightly packed fibrous, water-absorbent material with an adjustable opening to the surrounding area to emit moisture laden air with varying amounts of moisture.

This invention relates to a device for supplying moisture laden air to bodies requiring the same and relates more particularly to containers like humidors for cigars, cigarettes, pipe tobacco and the like.

An important object of the invention is to provide a perforated container with a liquid reservoir, preferably containing water, and having, in communication with the water, an absorbent mass such as asbestos or other inexpensive mineral tfiber which will release the moisture to the outside air without permitting drops of water to pass through it.

The device of the present invention has a water reservoir wherein the water can be fed by gravity to the fibrous mass until such time as the fibers become saturated, the fibrous material being sufiiciently densely packed to prevent water from passing through it except that water may emerge as moisture laden air.

An important object of the invention is to provide, in a device of the character described, novel means for adjusting the size of the opening through which moisture laden air may pass into the surrounding areas, such as a tobacco humidor. While some of the containers afford a reasonably tight seal, most of them permit communication with the outside and varying humidities of the air call for smaller or larger openings.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a central section taken through the housing for the device of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of one of two spaced stationary discs seated in the housing defining the closed-off chamber for the mass of water absorbing material;

FIG. 3 is a plan view of the second discs;

FIG. 4 is a plan view of a rotatable disc for closing off the openings from the chamber of fibers;

FIG. 5 shows a modification wherein the chamber for the fibrous material has side wall openings arranged to be fully closed or opened by a wide ring having elongated slots;

FIG. 6 is a plan view of the internal apertured disc defining one end of the chamber for the fibrous material;

FIG. 7 is a development of the closure ring.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in'FIGS. 1 to 4, a tubular housing 10 of transparent plastic or other moldable material, or even of metal, has a water tight closure cap 11 at one end and at the other end the tube has two internal seats 12 and 14, the first of which receives a disc 16 having peripheral openings 18 therein and possibly a central opening 19. The second seat 14 receives a second disc 20 having two opposed curved openings 22 therein and these two discs form a chamber 24 containing a quantity of asbestos or other fibrous material 26 tightly packed therein. These two discs may be cemented against the seats 12 and 14.

A third disc 28 has a shape about the same as disc 20 and again has the curved openings 29 which can be aligned with curved openings 22 and when rotated to a desired position can completely close the openings 22. Disc 28 is secured in place by a cemented ring 31 and it has ears 32 to facilitate turning of the same.

The main section 34 of the tubular housing 10 is filled with water and the closure cap returned to closed position. In the modified form of the invention shown in FIG. 5, the housing 38 has the same closurer cap 39 at one end and at the other there is an internal seat 40 to receive a disc 42 with holes 43 therein and the disc is cemented in place. This forms an area 44 which is filled with water. A closure cap 45 closes this end and a flat ring 46 is mounted for easy rotation on this end section of the housing which is of reduced diameter, forming a shoulder 48. The ring is thus secured between annular shoulder 48 and the rim of closure cap 45.

The side wall of this end section has on each side thereof a plurality of spaced holes 50 and the ring has two elongated slots 51 which can expose all of openings 50 or, when it is rotated about it can close all of these openings. The area 52 between internal disc 42 and closure cap 45 is filled with the absorbent fibrous material and this chamber 52 is in communication with chamber 44 by means of holes 43.

While there have been described herein what are at present considered preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention.

I claim:

1. A humidying device for emitting water vapor into an area and comprising an elongated tubular container having an internal annular seat intermediate its ends and an apertured disc fixed against said seat forming a longitudinal division of the container into two interconnected chambers, a removable, water tight closure cap at a first end to permit water to be fed into a water chamber at said first end, a closure cap at the second end of the container closing a chamber at said second end, a mass of fibrous, water absorbent material filling said latter chamber which receives a longitudinal flow of water from the first chamber, said second end being formed with at least one opening, and rotatable closure means having an opening which can be aligned with the opening at said second end to vary the amount of water vapor emitted from the container or to close said chamber completely.

2. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein said second closure member is a disc and the rotatable member is also a disc in face-to-face contact with the first disc and the openings are offset from the center of the discs.

3. The structure recited in claim 1 wherein the opening at the second end is in a side wall and the rotatable closure is a ring-like member with an opening which can be aligned with the side wall opening and can be rotated so as to close said opening completely.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 469,0Q1 2/1892 Sherman 312-311 2,202,796 5/1940 Hermani 312-311 XR 2,276,217 3/1942 Lee 312-31XR 2,756,096 7/1956 Lombard 312 31 XR FOREIGN PATENTS 722,779 1/1955 Great Britain.

0 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner.

J. L. KOHNEN, Assistant Examiner. 

